Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 10th

Thursday, 12th June: A fairly unpleasant morning of strong easterly winds and drizzly, and sometimes heavier, rain slowly gave way to a pleasant afternoon...............

Selsey Bill: Around 15 Little Terns were feeding offshore this morning, but very little else of note. Full log below. (AH/IP/MO-W)

(0640-0755hrs) (ESE, F5-6)

Gannet - 2E

Mediterranean Gull - c150os

Sandwich Tern - c100os

Little Tern - 15os

Swift - 5

Little Tern (above) & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just three Shelducks, a Mallard and two Black-headed Gulls on the pool this morning, though a Lesser Back-backed Gull, a Dunlin and two Swifts flew over, whilst a Whitethroat and two Chiffchaffs were all the Discovery Area had to offer. (AH/JC)

Shelducks (above), Swift, Chiffchaff & Whitethroat around the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were just five Little Terns, 42 Sandwich Terns, three Lapwings, three or four Ringed Plovers, three Little Egrets and 11 Shelducks in the harbour, with just the odd singing Blackcap, Whitethroat and Chiffchaff in the hedges, along with a Kestrel and a Stock Dove. (JC)

North Wall: An adult Yellow-legged Gull was in the harbour this morning, along with a common Tern briefly, with 18 Grey Plovers, 12 Redshanks and four curlews, plus a Lapwing flying over.

Also, a drake Gadwall, a drake Tufted Duck and just a few Reed Warblers, Sedge warblers and reed Buntings were along the wall. (ARK)

Just the female Marsh Harrier was showing this evening, with five Cattle Egrets in the fields and 15 Reed warblers, two Blackcaps, a Chiffchaff, three Cetti's Warblers and five Reed Buntings along the wall. (S&SaH)

Sidlesham Common: A Red Kite was circling overhead at lunchtime today. (AW)

Chichester Marina: A Tree-creeper was again in salterns Copse this evening, and there were c30 Stock Doves in the vicinity and a Red Kite went over. (SM)

Wednesday, 11th June: The breeze went right round to just south of easterly overnight, but remained fresh, leaving a cool and very overcast morning..........

Selsey Bill: A Bar-tailed Godwit, a Ringed Plover and seven Sanderlings were the first of their kind seen here for a while, but it was generally slow-going. Full log below. (SH/AH/LP/MO-W/IP)

(0645-0845hrs) (ESE, F4)

Gannet - 1E, 4W

Mallard - 2

Oystercatcher - 4E

Ringed Plover - 1E

Sanderling - 7

Bar-tailed Godwit - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - c250os

Sandwich Tern - 11E, 20os

Common Tern - 3os

Swallow - 1

House Martin - 5

Bar-tailed Godwit (above), Sandwich Tern & Mediterranean Gulls at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The only birds on the pool this morning were ten Shelducks. (AH)

Shelducks at the Ferry (AH)

Selsey: Watching the Swifts over my garden this afternoon it was a surprise to see three Sand Martins go over, heading south-west. (AW)

Sand Martins over Selsey (AW)

North Wall: This afternoon, a Cuckoo was about, along with two Blackcaps, a Chiffchaff, a Sedge Warbler, five Reed Warblers and a Reed Bunting, plus a Swift and four Swallows over.

Also, the pair of Marsh Harriers were actively passing food, four Buzzards were about, a Common Tern was feeding over the Breech Pool and ten Cattle Egrets were in the fields, but the only thing of note in the harbour was the seven Common Seals hauled out in the middle again. (S&SaH)

Runcton: South of the village this morning were a pair of Mute Swans, nine Shelducks, 28 Mallard, a pair of Gadwall, 18 Tufted Duck, three pairs of Little Grebes, two Grey Herons, 15 Coots, two Buzzard, a Little Ringed Plover, four nesting Black-headed Gulls, 15 Stock Doves, two Green Woodpeckers and singing Reed Warbler, Blackcap and Chiffchaff.

Also, early this afternoon, a Red Kite went over the village. (CRJ)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were five Common Terns on the nesting rafts this morning, including one seen bringing in fish, and another was on the Stilt Pool, along with eight Avocets, five Ringed Plovers and a Redshank, whilst a Sandwich Tern was offshore and two Cattle Egrets and a Cuckoo were on the reserve.

The banks were quite busy, too, with a Lesser Whitethroat, half a dozen Whitethroats, a Chiffchaff, a Sedge Warbler, six Reed Warblers, a Stonechat, three Reed Buntings and ten Yellowhammers seen and heard, whilst three Swifts, eight Swallows, two Marsh Harriers, six Buzzards and three Kestrels were seen overhead. (S&SaH/PB)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm and Ham Farm - There was very little at Porthole farm this morning beyond a handful of Whitethroats and Linnets, c30 Mediterranean Gulls in the fields and a Buzzard and a handful of Swifts over, whilst the Medmerry Trail just held more Whitethroats and Linnets and a couple of Skylarks.

It was a little better at Ham, where a singing Corn Bunting and a Reed Bunting were along the banks, with plenty more Whitethroats and Skylarks about, along with a couple of Reed Warblers and Linnets, and there were also a Roe Deer in the fields and a Spotted Orchid along the banks. (AH)

Also, this afternoon, a Cuckoo and a Cattle Egret were at Ham. (LL)

Corn Bunting (above), Reed Bunting, Whitethroat, Linnet, Skylark, Roe Deer & Spotted Orchid at Medmerry (AH)

Tuesday, 10th June: It was a bit warmer than yesterday in the hazy sunshine, but still with a fresh westerly breeze blowing.....

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of variety this morning, including three Fulmars, a flock of 25 Grey Plovers and a few terns west. Full log below. (AH/IP/P&LH/SM et al)

(0700-0900hrs) (W, F4-5)

Fulmar - 3W

Gannet - 2E, 12W

Mallard - 2

Common Scoter - 5E

Grey Plover - 25W

Curlew - 1W

Turnstone - 1

Mediterranean Gull - 85W, c200os

Sandwich Tern - 120W, c50os

Common Tern - 4W

Little Tern - 3E, 8W

auk sp - 1E

Swift - 6

Swallow - 1

House Martin - 8

Fulmar (above), Little Tern, Common Tern, Sandwich Tern, Gannet(AH) & Mediterranean Gulls (SM) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: There were just a dozen Black-tailed Godwits, three Avocets, a Redshank and seven Shelducks on the pool this morning. (AH)

Avocets (above) & Black-tailed Godwits on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There was again so sign of the Roseate Tern by late morning among the large gathering on the mud, comprising 50+ Sandwich Terns, at least four Common Terns and c200 Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls, whilst at least 30 Little Terns flew up from their islands on occasion, with more scattered around the harbour.

There was also a fair selection of waders present, comprising a summer-plumaged Knot, a dozen Sanderling, a Bar-tailed Godwit, two Black-tailed Godwits, three Curlews (including a colour-tagged one from the Arundel head-start scheme), 15 Grey Plovers, a dozen Turnstones, a handful of Dunlin and Ringed Plovers and the regular Oystercatchers. (AHu/SM/AH/P&LH et al)

Knot and Sandwich Tern (above), Black-tailed Godwits and Mediterranean Gulls, Grey Plovers, Common Tern, Little, Common and Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls & Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: There were just 14 Shelducks and two Gadwall out in the harbour at high tide, and on the Breech Pool, a Tufted Duck was on the water and a Kingfisher flew through, while two Swallows, a Jay, a Green Woodpecker and a Wren were around the paddocks and both male and female Marsh Harriers were over the reeds.
Also, on and around Heron Island there were 22 Little Egrets, six Grey Herons and two Cattle Egrets, while at Halsey’s Farm, two Lapwings were along the rife and another Cattle Egret was with the cows. (LP)